Orange Beach, Alabama -- Curious beachgoers on Monday afternoon kept a close eye on the Gulf of Mexico with binoculars and cameras, pointing every few seconds. A couple of television crews had their cameras fixed on the water. Everyone was hoping for a glimpse of one of the sharks that have invaded the water at Perdido Pass since Sunday.

Just off the shore, small private boats congregated near where the sharks have been spotted in the last two days, hoping for a close encounter. In the air, open cockpit aircrafts flew low, on the lookout for sharks. Also in the air were a couple of quadcopter drones that hovered over the water, equipped with video cameras.

Sarah Morgan of Texas wasn't in the water, but she was open to the idea of going into the water. "I want to swim with the sharks," Morgan said, standing on the surf. "But we can't go into the water because it's double red flags."

Those double red flags (and recently shark sightings) weren't enough to keep some people out of the water. "I grew up in New Jersey," said Steve Howe. "We always see sharks up there. They don't really care about us. As long as you don't go out too far and be aware, there shouldn't be a problem."

From time to time, a dolphin would break the surface off shore, causing many onlookers to shout, "There, over there!" That confusion between dolphins and sharks continued. But some people did see a shark, just a few feet off the beach, according to one witness.

"Oh, yeah, I saw one several feet long right off the sand, just moving by for about 30 feet in the shallows," said Marty Vasquez, who was on vacation from Huntsville, Ala. Did the shark invasion wreck her vacation? "Not at all. It's kind of exciting because I've never seen sharks that close before."